Contraception
All the doctors provide family planning services in normal surgeries. The practice nurses are trained to give family planning advice and information is also available to take away in the form of leaflets. IUDs (Mirena) and IUCDs (coils) need to be discussed with your doctor before making an appointment. Special longer appointments are reserved for those with the doctors who fit them. FOR URGENT ADVICE FOR THE MORNING AFTER PILL PLEASE ASK TO SPEAK TO A DOCTOR OR NURSE. This should be obtained on the next working day. The practice nurses hold a "drop-in" emergency contraception clinic every weekday between 4.00 and 4.30pm which can be attended without appointment whether the patient is registered at Balmoral or elsewhere.
Smears
Having your first smear can feel like a pretty daunting prospect but in reality it’s a simple five minute thing to tick off your check list of important things to do as it could save your life. A smear is not a test for cancer, it is a test to help prevent cancer. So how do they do that? A small sample of cells are taken using a little brush, a bit like a mascara wand. The sample is then sent off to the lab to be check for certain types of the HPV (human papillomavirus). 80% of sexually active women will have HPV at some time. Most of us won’t even know that we’ve had it as our amazing bodies just do what they do every day and deal with it. However, for a few of us it can lay dormant. If HPV is found, the sample is then checked for any changes to the cells of your cervix. If the cells show any changes, you will be asked to attend the local colposcopy clinic for further investigation. If HPV is detected but there are no cell changes, you will be invited to have a smear in one year and if no HPV is found, your will be good to go for three years. Here at Balmoral our lovely team of female nurses will guide you through this and are here to put you at ease and answer any questions you may have. If you wish to book your smear test in confidence please ask for Nikki.
Pre-pregnancy Advice
If you are planning a pregnancy it is important to be healthy and to eat well. Include foods containing folic acid (mainly green vegetables) and take folic acid supplements available without prescription at pharmacies, health food shops and supermarkets. A prescription is not needed as this can be bought over the counter at the chemist from before conception until the twelfth week of pregnancy. The doctors are happy to see you for further pre-pregnancy advice before you become pregnant.
Clinics
In the surgery:
- Antenatal
- Asthma
- Diabetic
- Travel Advice
- Young persons sexual health advice - drop in
Elsewhere:
- Skips (Prescription for fitness) at Tides Leisure Centre
The Practice Nurses offer a sexual health/contraception advice drop in clinic to young people every weekday from 4pm. Please just ask the care navigators at reception when you arrive. No appointment is necessary and you don’t need to be registered at this Practice to access this clinic.
Dover Health Centre – Sexual Health - Telephone: Call 0300 790 025 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. For information, please call the central booking line, open Monday to Thursday 8am to 7pm, Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm
Flu Vaccinations
We offer flu vaccinations from September every year. These are for children (details available from reception) and for people aged 65 years and over and anyone suffering from heart or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, COPD, immunosuppression and those in residential care.
Appointments can be made at reception from the beginning of September.
Smoking
This is the single largest preventable cause of death in this country. Smoking increases dramatically the risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer and many other smoking-related diseases. If you would like help and advice on giving up, please ask for details of our smoking cessation clinic or make an appointment to see the practice nurse.
Dental Problems
We are not dentists! If you have a problem with your teeth eg toothache or an abscess then it is your dentist you need to see. If you are registered with a dentist, check how to obtain emergency treatment. There is now an emergency dental clinic at Kent and Canterbury Hospital (01227 766877) and QEQM, Margate (01843 225544).
We do not become dentists at night! If you have difficulty in finding a dentist go to the NHS website.
Prescription requests from dentists requesting sedation
GPs should not be contacted regarding sedation requests prior to seeing a dentist, your dentist should be prescribing for you if they think it is needed.
Integrated Sexual Health Service – Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT)
In early 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, walk in and wait STD clinics were ceased and moved to telephone triage. Patients are asked to call the Central Access Team (CAT) on 0300 790 0245 where they will be able to speak to one of their care navigators and have their care managed by one of the following methods:
- For HIV/Syphilis/Chlamydia/Gonorrhoea/hepatitis/TV, patients will be referred to their online home test kit provider who offer at home screening.
- For LARC (long-acting reversible contraception) patients will be provided with a website where they can access an E-referral form so they can request a new/exchange or replacement of their device – LARC is only offered for contraception and not HRT or to control bleeding issues.
- Given a slot on the telephone triage line, where a clinician will call them back to complete a sexual health assessment and the offer of a face to face appointment if required.
Patient can also send an SMS to 07401 302401
Child Health
The practice runs its own child immunisation service. Eight week health checks and all pre-school immunisations are conducted at the surgery and arranged by our Nurse Clerk. Immunisations are given by the practice nurses at the surgery. The current schedule for children born after 01.01.2020 for immunisation is set out below. It is very important that you have your child immunised for their own safety. Serious reactions to vaccines are very rare and far less common than serious reactions to the diseases they help prevent.
NHS immunisation schedule
The Sick Child
It is often difficult to know when to seek help about a poorly child, especially your first. Here is some general advice we hope is helpful. There are no hard and fast rules and if in doubt speak to your doctor or health visitor or NHS 111.
In general, a child who is drinking, happily playing or watching television is unlikely to have anything seriously wrong. Your child will not be made worse by being brought to the surgery.
Children whose parents smoke have more coughs, chest and ear infections than those whose parents don’t. Babies should not be placed on their stomachs in the cot and if unwell should be kept in the parents' room at night. A child with a temperature should have clothing reduced until cool and (if over three months) given paracetamol syrup (Calpol or Disprol).
Important symptoms are a refusal to drink, a faster rate of breathing, persistent stomach pains or vomiting, neck pain or stiffness, unusual drowsiness. It is important to note that in small babies an illness can develop quickly without the above and persistent crying or refusal of food, if the child appears unwell, should lead you to contact the doctor.
Earache will usually settle with paracetamol or ibuprofen (Nurofen for children) but if associated with a fever or persisting for several days this should lead you to come to the surgery. Earache is not an emergency though it is distressing with no magic answer.
Meningitis
Meningitis is a rare but serious disease caused by a variety of different germs.
Bacterial meningitis can come on very quickly. The symptoms are a very ill looking child (or adult) with a severe headache, neck pain or stiffness which is made worse by bending forwards, light hurting the eyes, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion or a rash like a little blood blister or bruise which does not fade on pressing. If you suspect meningitis contact the doctor straight away. A child with a headache without the above symptoms should initially be treated with paracetamol. Close contacts of proven bacterial meningitis will often be contacted by the public health department. Contacts of contacts who are not ill are not at increased risk.
Immunisation can prevent some forms of this disease.
Infection Control
The practice takes the risks of cross-infection very seriously. If you feel that you may have an infectious condition please let the staff know so they can make arrangements to limit the risks of spreading. Most cross-infection including flu and respiratory conditions are dramatically reduced by simple hand-washing with soap and water.
Minor Surgery
Some of the doctors are registered for this and usually carry out minor operations at the Surgery.
Occupational Health
Vaccines for occupational health purposes, such as Hepatitis B, are normally provided by the employer’s occupational health service.
Referral To Hospital
If your doctor feels you need to be seen in a hospital, you will be offered a choice of where you are seen. This will be the various local hospitals and further afield and also includes the NHS-funded private sector services. Access to choice may be made when you discuss the referral with your doctor, or via Choose & Book, telephone or computer systems.
Hospital Transport
The practice is unable to arrange hospital transport to outpatient appointments. Patient Transport is a service provided by G4S on behalf of the NHS Integrated Care Boards across Kent and Medway. To book patient transport please telephone 0800 096 0211. It is designed to support you if your medical or physical condition means you cannot use public transport, get a lift, or drive yourself to, and from, your NHS appointment. The criteria for patient transport are very strict and determined purely on medical need. There is also a volunteer-run hospital car service for which a charge is made.